


The Poet King

by Yalu



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Episode 5x03: The Deathsong of Uther Pendragon, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-09
Updated: 2012-11-09
Packaged: 2017-11-18 07:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/558643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yalu/pseuds/Yalu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><br/>Gwen would like a poem from her husband.</p><p>A little extra scene for 5x03: <i>The Death Song of Uther Pendragon</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Poet King

Arthur paused outside the door to Gwen's sickroom just long enough to straighten his collar and turn the flowers in his hand so the largest blossoms would be seen first. He knocked a little impatiently; if it hadn't taken Merlin bloody _hours_ to go out and pick all these plants he might have been by sooner. Or maybe if he'd been made to start earlier, before making the bed and readying Arthur's clothes and stoking the fire, but Sir Leon had come by with a long and tedious report to read over breakfast and Arthur had forgotten to tell him. It was still Merlin's fault, of course. Now nearly lunchtime, and only as that thought occurred to him did Arthur realise that a tray of food might have been a better offering for his wife. 

"Come in!"

Too late now. He opened the door.

Guinevere was sitting up, propped by pillows and looking weary, but she smiled when she saw him. "Arthur," she said warmly. "Are those for me?"

"Of course." Approaching, he kissed her forehead and took a seat on the blanket. "How are you feeling?"

She brought the flowers to her nose and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the smell. "Well enough," she said, settling back. "I'm still a bit dizzy sometimes and Gaius doesn't want me to move too much until it's settled."

"But he's sure you're all right?" Arthur pressed. Gwen smiled and squeezed his hand. 

"Yes."

Arthur nodded, satisfied, but kept one hand resting on her elbow, as though to make doubly sure. Gwen's eyes flicked down to it and her smile turned just a little bit secretive, like she found it funny and endearing all at once. She'd perfected that smile, these last few years. 

Usually when he'd done something much too sentimental. Casually, he moved the hand away. "You're comfortable?" he asked, just to fill the silence. She nodded. "Do you... need anything? Erm, something from the kitchens maybe..."

"Well, there is a bit of a mystery on my mind," she said, and Arthur's brow lifted. Now she was looking amused. Too amused. 

"Oh?"

"Yes. Sir Leon came by earlier, to wish me well on behalf of the knights. He said something about you... and a poem."

Arthur winced. "Ah – yes. About that..."

He opened his mouth, but nothing at all came out save air, so he shut it again. How was he supposed to explain... well, Merlin's stupidity was easy enough, but why he'd been unwilling to tell Leon what was happening last night now that it turned out he'd been right... he'd just look like an ass. 

More understanding than amused now, Gwen squeezed hand and said, "You know, it's all right if you haven't finished it yet. I realise these things can take time."

Arthur's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry...?"

Gwen looked puzzled. "Well maybe I'm mistaken, then. Sir Leon said you would be coming by later with a gift, but that it would be a while. He seemed to think you were writing me a poem."

...Oh. Arthur closed his eyes and fought the urge to rub his forehead. Or shout at someone. Probably Merlin. No, definitely Merlin. Thinking back, he _had_ said something like that when Leon came by, but he'd meant the flowers. Flowers, which were easy to have someone fetch and didn't require a talent which he most definitely _did not_ have. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was meant to be a surprise," Gwen told him, and damn it all if she didn't sound guilty for it. He shook his head and took both her hands in his, looked straight at her... and shook his head mutely. A few moments later he managed to say, "It wasn't. Meant to be a surprise, Gwen. There's been a mistake."

Her expression cleared and smoothed into relief. "I'm glad; Sir Leon must have had no idea it was meant to be a secret. I suppose I should have kept quiet anyway, but it's such a lovely gift to give. I had no idea you liked poetry."

Damn Merlin anyway. He'd be scrubbing rusty armour for a _week_. No, two weeks. Maybe three. Arthur fixed the smile on his face. "I didn't... want it to get out."

"Really? I think it's wonderful – a warrior king with the heart of a poet. What could be more romantic?" she said happily. "You could have told me years ago, you know." 

"I'm not very good. I'm terrible, actually. You don't want to hear what I write."

Gwen shook her head, still smiling. "I'm sure it isn't, Arthur. Really. You don't have to show it to everyone but I really can't wait to see what sort of verses came from your heart while you were so worried about me."

"Bad ones," he protested. "Really bad, Gwen– er, as in, they don't rhyme, they're not pretty, not that they're _bad_ ; they're about you ¬– they're about you, they have to be good. You're... good..." He sighed. "That didn't come out right."

She laughed softly and leaned over to kiss him. When they opened their eyes a moment later, nose to nose, she said, "I'm sure you're much more eloquent on paper."

Arthur groaned and shook his head. "I'm really not. _Really_."

"Don't be shy," Gwen said, and she kissed him again for good measure. "I promise I won't show your poems to anyone else."

He paused, face scrunching up into a reluctant wince as his lack of options became clear. Lack of dignified options, anyway. "Not _anyone_?" he pressed. "Not even Merlin?"

She laughed again. "I swear."

Arthur's shoulders slumped in defeat. Or surrender, whatever this was. "All right. But you've got to promise not to tell anyone about it either."

Gwen's brow furrowed. "Why not? I'll tell them it's very good anyway..." He shook his head but she still looked confused.

"I... _really_ don't want it to get out. Please, Guinevere? It'll be our secret," he added suddenly, inspired. "Our own, _private_ , married-couple sort of secret."

"Ours and Sir Leon's. And Merlin's as well, I take it?"

"Well he knows everything anyway, doesn't he?" Arthur muttered. "Mostly our secret, then. Are we agreed?"

Gwen nodded, and her smile broadened into one of excitement. She clasped her hands together and... waited. "Well?" she said expectantly. "Can I hear my poem now?"

He winced. "It's, er... I haven't quite finished it yet."

Her face fell. "Oh."

"It wasn't perfect," he said quickly. "I mean, it'll never be perfect, but... I wanted to see you. I was worried."

That smile of hers really was worth anything. She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Arthur. I can wait a few more hours. Gaius expects me to be well enough to leave by evening, so perhaps after dinner?"

Fixed smiles get pretty painful after a while. "Of course," he promised, and lifted her hand to kiss it as he stood to go. "I'll see you then."

Gwen nodded. "Until then. I love you, Arthur."

"I love you too," he replied, opening the door. _Or this would so not be worth it._

 

Guinevere smiled to herself as her husband's footsteps – heavy, irritated – faded away across the floor of Gaius' room and were punctuated with a hard slam of the outer door. It wasn't quite enough to muffled his shout of, "MERLIN!"

She chuckled. There was a _thud_ from the side of the room and she turned to watch as Merlin climbed out of his own wardrobe – it was so small, how had he managed to fit? – and they exchanged grins.

Again, still muffled, they heard, " _MERLIN!_ "

"You'd better go," she said, leaning back into the pillows.

"Oh, I wouldn't _miss_ this," he promised. "What kind of poem do you want, Gwen? Long? Lyrical? Lots of similes about how beautiful you are, or something really, really soppy?"

"I just want to hear him read it," she replied, grinning from ear to ear. "And see the look on his face!"


End file.
